Behind the X
by Blueshade Seraphim
Summary: It’s a mystery nagging every Teen Titans fan. Who is Red X? Well, I’m throwing my hat into the ring to try and put an end to this enigma of an anti-hero once and for all! Who’s behind the mask of Red X? Read on, and maybe you’ll see.


**(I decided to do something similar to my past story about unveiling King Boo's true identity, and share my thoughts on who's under the mask of one of the most mysterious characters in cartoon history: Red X. And before I even get started, NO. He is NOT Jason Todd. I will not stand having another Arkham Knight pulled on me. I'll go into detail about why he can't be down below. Alright. Let's crack this mystery once and for all!)**

Dick Grayson, a.k.a Robin, has dealt with a multitude of different bad guys across his crime fighting career. And has discovered clever solutions for putting a stop to each of them. But with Red X, it's more personal. This is because Robin was the one who made the very suit he's using. But enough about the stuff we already know. Just like with King Boo, we have to establish what we know for a fact about Red X, in order to narrow down who he could be.

**What do we know about Red X?:**

Now Red X has done a good job of keeping himself as ambiguous as possible. But we can still see a few things that cannot be denied. First and foremost, he knew about the suit before stealing it. This would mean that he has to have atleast some knowledge about the titans before dawning the infamous mask. And seeing how well he fights against all 5 of them in his debut episode, it's clear he's done his research about what the suit can do, as he uses a bunch of its functions just fine. We know that he's quite skilled even without the suit, because his reflexes and fighting style are capable of going toe to toe with Robin, in the instances where he isn't using one of the suit's powers. Red X is also able to infiltrate the titan tower, find his way to where the suit is locked up, break through Robin's security without him noticing, (because as you'll see in Robin's flashback, he only sees the suit is gone after checking on it), and escaping without getting caught.

We can clearly see that Red X is the same height as Robin, and while he does appear to have the same build as well, don't jump to conclusions. He could easily be wearing something else underneath that would make the costume a better fit. Pay special attention to how Red X refers to the titans, and Robin: he consistently refers to them as "kids". Implying that he is older than them, or at the very least, more mature. Compared to Beast Boy and Cyborg, that second point is definitely defendable. He has a record for using dirty tactics if necessary, and while his moral stance is quite debatable, his rationality is that of a thief. He isn't particularly interested in crazy schemes, or actively hurting the public, his biggest motivation is money. The only times he ever crosses fists with the titans is when he sees them as an interference in that end. But the time he teamed up with Robin to take down a bigger threat also demonstrates he's not just some uncaring crook. The repeated times he lets the titans go after he's done with whatever he's doing also demonstrates he has no previous grudge against them.

Finally, while his voice is unknown thanks to the suit altering it, we can hone in on a very interesting clue: Robin also wore the suit once. And when he did, his voice was much deeper. If we assume that the suit always conceals someone's voice the same way, that would mean Red X's real voice is higher pitched. But this could just be a red herring, as Robin's voice is already pretty high pitched, and there aren't many characters that regularly go higher. Besides, if that tactic worked, Robin probably would've tried it already.

**Suspects:**

Red X is not Jason Todd. Besides the fact that Jason has never made a single appearance in the history of the show outside of Beast Boy's theory board on this very topic, it just doesn't make sense for his character's motivation. Every single time Jason Todd is adapted into something, it's usually to get revenge on Batman for his death at the hands of the joker, so... what reason would he have to be in Jump City screwing around with Robin? Robin has already left Batman's service, and while you could argue that Red X's schemes are to fund his vendetta against Batman, why would he steal the suit when he's already capable of all that himself? And all this isn't even counting that Jason is YOUNGER than Dick Grayson, which is the Robin we follow in Teen Titans.

This is awkward... We really only have one commonly discussed suspect...? Dang. Just goes to show how good Red X is at keeping his origins under wraps. But don't worry, I think I've found someone who fits the criteria for Red X's character. And that person is...

**My theory:**

Rose Wilson. Wait, WAIT! Don't leave just yet, allow me to explain myself. Rose Wilson is the daughter of Slade. A character who does not appear in Teen Titans, but DOES make an appearance in Teen Titans Go, as cancerous as that is. I get that it feels like breaking my own logic, to include someone who never even appeared in the original show, but who's to say she wasn't meant to? Season 6 was cancelled, and the writers very well could've intended for her to be introduced then. But why introduce her so late in the series? It all has to do with misdirection.

See, I've discovered in my stories that if you introduce a character AFTER you introduce their alias, people are much less likely to guess they're the same person. This is because the instant such a shady individual is introduced, people who want to crack the mystery will probably comb through just about anyone that seems suspectable, in order to figure it out. But if you introduce their real self later, chances are a portion of those people will already have someone stamped out for surveillance, helping the genuine article glide under the radar.

But enough about that. What does Rose have going for her that links her to Red X? A lot, actually. Because she's the daughter of Slade, someone who's infamous for his extreme laser focus on the titans, and one of the few people who've even _seen _the suit in action, including Robin's unmasking, she'd definitely have knowledge about the suit. And while it pains me to watch the eye defilling mess that is Teen Titans Go, her dad may be watching the titans like a hawk from the shadows, but her? She doesn't really care that much. Just like Red X, she only shows interest in less serious crimes. And do you recall the armor Robin wore when he was briefly Slade's apprentice? If she was wearing that under the costume, it'd easily make her look the same stature as Robin. And to dispel the argument I'm sure many would make, I'm well aware Red X briefly flirted with Starfire in their first fight, but that could easily be a means of playing into the illusion that she's a guy. That, or she could be making a joke about Robin's secret crush on her.

So what do you guys think? Did I convince you that Red X is Rose Wilson, or do you think she's someone else? Leave me a review stating your thoughts on the matter, and thank you for lending me your time.


End file.
